The Minnesota Vikings have been, and remain, the clear favorite to sign Kyler Murray in free agency once the Arizona Cardinals officially release him on Wednesday, March 11, but that outcome is not a foregone conclusion.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported on Sunday, less than 24 hours before the legal period of player negotiations begin, that Murray and Minnesota have “mutual interest.” The rest of Pelissero’s report, however, is cause for at least mild concern that the Vikings could miss out on the two-time Pro Bowler ahead of his age-29 campaign.

“I fully anticipate this is going to be a robust market for Kyler Murray,” Pelissero said. “I would anticipate there will be mutual interest between Kyler Murray and the Vikings. Fair to say even at this point that the Vikings probably should be considered the favorite.”

“But, if you’re Kyler and his agent, it makes a lot of sense to take advantage of this,” Pelissero continued. “He’s never been a free agent before. He has not interfaced with a lot of team executives since he came out in the draft back in 2019. And for Kyler, who is going to be a free agent again in 2027 after taking a one-year minimum deal this year, makes sense … to take his time and explore his options — hear everybody out before deciding where to take a next, important step in his career.”

Vikings Players Prefer Kyler Murray Over JJ McCarthy, per Report

GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy.

Minnesota isn’t just the favorite to sign Murray in free agency, Murray is the favorite of several members of the Vikings’ locker room who prefer him as the starter in 2026 over JJ McCarthy entering his third NFL season.

Dianna Russinni of The Athletic reported as much over the weekend during an appearance on the Ryen Russillo Show.

“[Murray is] not the type of quarterback for Kevin O’Connell,” Russinni said. “But I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. I think that’s an organization where I can tell you from talking to some players there, they want Kyler there.”

Vikings Will Have Other, Lesser Options at QB if Kyler Murray Lands Elsewhere

GettyIndianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson.

Minnesota will have options if Murray doesn’t pan out, though none are likely to be as promising as the two-time Pro Bowler who is going to play somewhere next season on a veteran’s league minimum totaling just $1.3 million.

If Murray, for whatever reason, lands elsewhere, the Vikings can turn to Anthony Richardson of the Indianapolis Colts. That franchise granted Richardson permission to seek a trade during the NFL Combine late last month.

Should that not work out, a short-term deal with the likes of Kirk Cousins or Geno Smith — both veterans in their late 30s — would offer Minnesota real competition for McCarthy in training camp and a viable alternative in-season if McCarthy wins the job but then struggles or suffers an injury.

The only other team in the QB market that might be able to offer Murray a situation good enough that it actually compares to what the Vikings can give him is the Pittsburgh Steelers, though Aaron Rodgers is rumored to potentially return there for his age-42 season in 2026.

Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible